


Ignition

by blythechild



Series: Ignition Series [1]
Category: V for Vendetta (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-12
Updated: 2012-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-31 01:46:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blythechild/pseuds/blythechild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story collection is alternate reality telling of Evey's time with V prior to November 5th. In this reality, Evey fell on hard times before V found her and she has reasons of her own to want revolution. In this chapter, she helps V on one of his nightly bombing raids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignition

**Author's Note:**

> This story started as a one-shot based on a drabble challenge. I enjoyed writing the collaborative Evey/V relationship so much that it spawned other stories based in the same AU. It's been years since I wrote these, so if I'm hazy on the details please forgive me.
> 
> As always, this is a work of fanfiction and therefore I do not claim any rights to the characters herein. This was created as a personal entertainment. This story contains acts of violence and should not be read by those under the age of 14. I do not endorse any of the acts described in this work.

"V, what are you doing?"

V looked up suddenly from his workbench. Evey stood in the doorway dressed in black; she was a shadow except for her pale face floating above her body. Just like the moon, he thought, Evey's like the night sky. His workroom was isolated and he had not heard her approach: she had caught him daydreaming. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on the task at hand.

"Err, I'm fabricating ignition switches for some low-grade charges that I've made. I'm a little behind, actually - I'll need them tonight..." V forced his gaze away from her and back to his workbench. He was becoming more distracted by her daily.

"Really? I can help, if you like..." Evey glided into the room and came to stand directly beside him, looking at his work.

"Well, it's a kind offer Evey, but I don't think..."

"In Juvenile Reclamation they force you to learn a trade. Mine was electrical engineering. I haven't used it much working at the BTN, but what you're doing is fairly simple, and two sets of hands are more efficient than one." Evey looked at V's set-up and then to his mask when he did not answer. "Seriously V, I realize that I can't cook, but did you think that I was completely useless?"

"Oh, errr, no, of course not, my dear. But electrical engineering is quite a skill to possess - why did you never mention it?" V was mightily impressed: a Shakespeare-quoting, electrical engineer who looked great in black. He was in trouble.

"You never asked. You possess many skills that aren't immediately apparent too."

"Touché. Well, I could certainly use the assistance, if you would not mind."

"Okay, on one condition..."

"Yes?"

"You take me out on your mission tonight."

"Evey, I can't." V sighed, another opportunity ruined.

"You can't because it's too dangerous, or you can't because you're afraid that I'll use it as a chance to free myself and expose you?" she asked evenly.

V was stunned - she was being extremely blunt this evening. The mission was dangerous, but not unduly so. How could he tell her that he did fear that she would escape, and that he would rue it, not because she would turn on him, but because he would be alone once again? He had grown so attached to her that the thought of returning to meals for one, or watching movies on his own scared him to death. He did not want to lose her, but keeping her prisoner for that reason seemed ethically questionable at best.

"I trust you, Evey..." He began.

"Then take me along." She finished. "I've been down here for months with nothing to do, V. I need to feel useful - I need purpose. Everyone needs a purpose to drive them. You, of all people, should understand this..."

V remained still and pondered her argument. The thought of transforming Evey from a captive to a partner in his vendetta was an alluring one. If she had come to see the current situation from his perspective, she could be an invaluable ally, not to mention that it would bring them closer. The prospect made him tingle and he silently chided himself for acting like a lovesick adolescent. The truth was that he wanted to trust her, and that sooner or later he would have to give her the opportunity to betray him: best to face it with eyes wide open, he thought.

V nodded gravely and quietly slid some igniter parts across his workbench towards her. Evey suddenly beamed with surprise and gratitude. She reached out to grab his hand in thanks before she thought about it and realized that he was not wearing his gauntlets. He tensed visibly as she held his hand, and she fought the impulse to let him go. Instead she caressed his rough skin lightly with her thumb and squeezed her grip for a moment to tell him how happy she was. His skin felt marvelously strange and warm - she wanted to explore his scars and textures, but she knew that he was a moment away from retracting his hand, and let it go before he initiated it.

"Thank you, V." She said with a small smile as she turned to the work placed in front of her.

They worked side by side for some time hardly speaking except to request a tool or to make a technical comment. V was in orbit the entire time. Not only was Evey's work impeccable, it was quick and she worked with a professional sophistication that he had never seen from her before. She was in her element and it was a thing to behold. As they worked, their bodies drew closer until eventually their shoulders brushed against one another lightly and often. Evey reached across him to grab supplies. V reached across her to point out suggestions to her construction. When they had finished making the allotted igniters, quicker than expected, V was almost regretful - he had enjoyed their collaboration far too much. 

"Right then." Evey turned suddenly towards V. "What now?"

V was overwhelmed by the insane impulse to hug her tightly to him. Catching himself before he blundered in his delirium, he touched her shoulder instead; a small compromise to his desire.

"Next, we find you something warm to wear. It'll be cold out tonight." V directed her towards the workroom door, allowing his hand to slide down to the small of her back as they walked out of the room together.

\---------------------------

The plan was simple and more than a little bit cheeky. V was going to plant small explosive charges on various buildings around London that were known as Norsefire social hotspots: the national theater, various bars and restaurants, a sports arena, a strip club. V's theory was that his presence had caused personal security for high-ranking Party members to increase, but they still continued to socialize as they always did in an effort to assuage their own fears and those of the public's as well. But the locations that he had targeted were hard to fortify, and made easy, showy marks for his latest attack on Norsefire's public image of infallibility. The risk of detection while setting the charges was low, and there were many to set, so V had Evey take locations in one area of the city, and he the other. They were to meet up a strategic point later in the evening where the final act of the mission would come to fruition.

Evey disappeared into the night with a bag of charges, wearing one of V's spare cloaks. V watched her go with a strange stabbing pain in his gut. What if she disappeared? What if she was caught? What if she betrayed him after all? It was a risk that he had to take and he hoped that he had not misjudged her. She winked at him as she fled and his heart lightened momentarily. Stupid git, he thought to himself, you'll risk 20 years worth of work for the mere suggestion of affection from this girl!

V went about setting his charges and arrived at their rendezvous point ahead of schedule. Each minute that ticked past ratcheted up his anxiety another notch. What would he do if she had gone straight to the authorities? She was not privy to his overall November 5th plan, but he would have to abandon the Gallery and set up somewhere else. Though he had a secondary, emergency location, it was inferior both in amenities and provisions - and, it was not home. For the first time, the consequences of taking an absolute stranger into his private sanctuary hit him.

Suddenly, V spied movement across the street in a darkened alcove: the swish of fabric. He leaned forward, almost into the streetlight, when he saw a sliver of Evey's face edge into the light. She was staring straight at him and her face was grim. He smiled under his mask as his heart flooded with relief - she came back to him! He was about to walk forward when he spotted more movement. Evey's face looked at him and then gestured upward: she was being tailed and she knew it. Two figures crawled along the roof of the building immediately above her, silhouetted against the red-brown night sky. Another figure lurked in the shadow of a building a half block up the promenade.

V's heart seized. He could not reach her; there was too much well-lit, open space between them. And Evey was weaponless, totally helpless against three armed men. He had a choice to make: expose himself and save her, or leave her to her fate and perhaps rescue her later with a better chance of success. Tactically, the second choice was the correct one, but he could not make himself choose it. Evey's gaze pleaded with him across the promenade, as she blindly searched the darkness for him. He knew that she could not see him, she was merely hoping that he was there. He could slip away and she would never know that he had abandoned her. V retreated further into the shadows of the alleyway. After a moment, he nodded to himself - decision made - and reached into the depths of his cloak and pulled out a grenade. He pulled the pin, hearing its tinny ping as it hit the alley floor. He held the catch down and took a series of breaths. Finally he let the catch go and counted silently.

One...two...three....

V ran full speed towards the mouth of the alleyway, vaulting the grenade high and fast towards Evey. As soon as he was free of it, his hands flashed to his belt and grabbed two knives as he continued to run straight for her. The grenade landed on a balcony mid-way between the ground and the roof. A second later it detonated producing a startling shower of brick, and steel and glass to cover his exposure as he crossed the street. The two figures on the roof disappeared and the agent up the street abandoned his cover and approached the building at a sprint. Evey had disappeared as the debris hit the street and V hoped that she was merely hiding and was not injured. He reached the alcove of the building, now half buried in detritus, as the Fingerman did. The Fingerman drew his gun and opened his mouth to yell, but was silenced immediately as one of V's knives stabbed him through his mouth and knocked him backwards to the sidewalk, dead. 

"Evey!" V whispered harshly into the alcove.

A moment passed before a dusty hand reached out from behind the mountain of fallen bricks. Voices above signaled the other Fingermen's imminent arrival. V sheathed his other blade and grabbed Evey's hand, vaulting her up and over the debris that separated them. He caught her in both hands and ran into the alley next to the ruined building. He found a deep-set, dark doorway just in time and thrust them both in it, seconds before the two Fingermen descended the fire escape from the roof to the alley floor. V pushed Evey against the locked door and pressed himself tightly against her, bending his mask into her shoulder so that nothing appeared but blackness to the casual glance. The Fingermen ran past the doorway, guns drawn and headed to the street. In seconds they would find their dead cohort and call in back up. The authorities were doubtlessly on their way in response to the explosion.

"Are you alright?" V whispered into her neck.

"Yes." She answered into the hair of his wig as her hand on his shoulder and at his waist squeezed in confirmation.

He turned from her quickly and glanced out of the portal, taking in his surroundings. He darted back into the doorway just as he heard the Fingermen cry out upon discovery of their friend. They had just seconds to escape now.

"Cover your face and follow me. We're going to the fire escape at the end of the alleyway."

He disappeared and she followed trying to keep up with him. They reached the end of the alleyway as the Fingermen lingered at the mouth of it, still in shock and unseeing. V looked back with both hands on the vertical railings - there was no time left.

"Evey!" He whispered commandingly. "Climb on my back. Wrap your legs around my waist."

Evey did as she was told and gasped as V began climbing the fire escape effortlessly carrying both of their weights. She felt the push and pull of his abdominals flexing under her legs, and felt enflamed by the power in him that seemed to have been harnessed on her behalf. Their escape was a foregone conclusion, she realized - he was simply too extraordinary to be caught. They reached the roof and both looked down to view the scene of their enemies below. More Fingermen had appeared and sirens wailed in the distance signaling more were on their way. They were scouting the nearby buildings and alleys, but none where looking beyond street level. They could remain safely on the roof for a while, but V grabbed Evey's arm and set off at a run over the rooftops.

Several blocks away V pulled up and they both caught their breath. His chest was pounding, not from the exertion, but from tension and anxiety. Worrying for the safety of someone else was new to him and he did not find it at all pleasant. Evey was winded and probably in shock. Her hair and cloak were covered in mortar dust and there were minor glass cuts to her face. V turned and caressed her cheek with his gloved fingers.

"You are hurt."

"It's nothing." She dismissed his concern, but worry remained in her eyes. "I'm sorry, V. I knew that they had discovered me and I brought them right to you. I didn't know what else to do! I didn't want to be caught but I couldn't save myself...I needed you. I'm so sorry."

V's heart leapt in his chest - she needed him! She had been worried that he would be angry with her. She had wanted to protect him and his secret. He was elated: not only had she validated his trust in her, she was concerned for him personally. His little test had been an unqualified success. His heart was pounding like he had been running flat out for miles and his body tingled with adrenalin and intoxication. He felt the urge to hold her again, but this time he did not stop himself. He gathered her into his arms and squeezed tightly, resting the chin of his mask on the top of her dusty head.

"You have no reason to be sorry. There was trouble and we dealt with it. It was quite invigorating, actually...." He looked down at her. "The charges?"

"They are all in place. It wasn't a problem until I reached the last site - that's where I picked up the Fingermen." Evey was dumbfounded. "You're really not upset with me?"

"No." He said quietly as he raised her slightly off the ground and hugged her to him again. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

He rocked her gently against him until sense returned, and with a nervous cough, he released her. He looked around quickly and spotted what he wanted. Then he grabbed Evey by the hand and led her up and along a narrow, pitched roofline whose view took in the entire city.

"Hold onto the weathervane." He directed. "It's time for you to see what we have wrought together."

V pulled a small detonator from inside his cloak and stood ramrod straight as he looked down over London. The wind was strong at this elevation, but he did not move, only his cloak flapped ominously. He turned back to face her and tilted his head slightly so that it lit from the lights below ghoulishly. He stretched out his hand to her.

"Are you ready, Evey?"

She had no idea what she was agreeing to but she nodded yes. She was so full with the excitement of him that she would have agreed to anything that he suggested at that moment. She gingerly stepped forward and he collected her into his side with one hand, holding the detonator in the other. 

"I needed to be up high for this. The detonator needs a clear line of sight to all of the igniters. And, it'll most impressive from above..." He murmured.

"What will be impressive?"

"This."

V pressed the detonator and, one by one, dozens of buildings in London exploded with the dizzying percussion of fireworks. The flaming ruins created a giant letter 'V'. Evey gasped and clutched at V's waist, and he pulled her closer to him in response. Almost instantaneously, sirens began to wail all across the city. The buildings below were bathed in flickering orange light while the sky above became more red-brown from the rising smoke.

"Oh my God!" Evey whispered as a small flame in her, already kindled by him, grew larger. This was not like the night that he blew up the Old Bailey: this was a rush. To feel his power exerted without hindrance or restraint over an entire city - and to be a part of it - made her shake with a mixture of fear and passion that she knew would become addictive.

"The charges weren't that large - they would only have caused slight structural damage. This is more for show than anything else. Half of my battle is a PR one: I must show the people that the Party is weak and soft, otherwise they'll never believe that they can shake off its yoke. I must make the people see!"

"I see. I really do." Evey breathed.

"I believe that you are starting to, yes." V whispered back.

"You could see this from space!"

"If one had access to satellite feed -yes, you probably could. Shall we go back to the Gallery and find out?"

"You have access to spy satellites?!"

V tilted his head to the side and leaned into her in mock conspiracy.

"But of course!" He chuckled.

"You are utterly surprising. Remarkable and surprising!" 

Evey was keyed up with elation, accomplishment, and feeling. Her body bristled with nervous energy that was fighting to remain still in her. V's mask seemed to be smiling in a new way - one of boyish adventure and cocky arrogance. She was dizzy with him and with this night: she wanted more from both. She reached out her hand and drew his mask into her as if to kiss it and then stopped, inches from her face realizing what she had done. V's hands slid to her hips and held her firmly; he was not pushing her away. He waited silently as they held each other on the windy rooftop with London burning below them, seconds ticking away at their moment. Finally, she brushed past the mask's lips and pressed her cheek against his, breathing heavily into his collar. She heard his own ragged breathing through the mask as he held her and realized that she had missed a longed-for opportunity. She mentally kicked herself knowing that the moment was gone and that soon they would revert to their practiced roles. If only he really felt this way, she thought, if only it was just more than the flush of the moment...

V pulled away and slowly led her back to the safety of the flat roof. The evening had been glorious - a personal triumph - but it was also coming to a close and he was sure that Evey was eager to return to the security of their current arrangement, even if he desired more. With a silent sigh, he led her through the Byzantine maze of London's rooftops back to the Gallery. He would show her his satellite room. He would allow her greater access to sections of his home. He would try to involve her more in his projects. And he would pray that someday he would somehow ignite the spirit in her that she had set alight in him - before it was too late.


End file.
